Michigan

Pistons gear up for opening road trip

AP PhotoPistons players, such as Rasheed Wallace, right, relish this tough opening stretch because the Pistons are one of the NBA's best road teams

AUBURN HILLS -- When you have had the kind of road success the Detroit Pistons have had in recent years, you have to wonder whether their schedule needs a little toughening up.

How does eight of the first 10 on the road sound?

"Daunting!" Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

The Pistons are the only NBA team to play more than six road games within their first 10.

"That's cool," Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace said. "That means eight of our last 10 are going to be at home during the end of the season."

Actually, Detroit plays seven of its last 11 at The Palace, but there is a lot of basketball to be played before then.

And it starts in Miami tonight, the first of what is shaping up to be one of the most difficult schedules Detroit has had to open a season.

Wallace, like most of his teammates, isn't too worried about the schedule because the Pistons have been one of the NBA's elite road teams. Last season, they won more games (27) on the road than they did at home (26).

"It's always more fun to go in someone else's house and kick their (butt), then beating them here at home," Wallace said. "I've always been like that, and the majority of the players on this team are like that. We'd rather go into someone else's house and get that 'W.' "

Saunders rarely talks about games too far into the future. But with eight of the first 10 on the road, he had to make an exception this time. Following the team's practice on Tuesday, Saunders spoke with his players about the importance of this opening stretch of games.

"Our guys are aware of our road trip," Saunders said. "We approach it from the standpoint of, let's take care of ourselves. It starts with going down to Miami."

In the past, Detroit's starters have often started games slowly, only to finish with a flurry.

With so many road games to start the season, that pattern would prove disastrous for a team that has won at least five of its first 10 games every year since the 2001-2002 season.

The importance of a fast start is not lost on Saunders, whose Detroit teams have averaged seven wins after the first 10 games.

"It's a process," he said. "You don't win games by just going out and playing. You have to go through the process of playing well, and not beating yourself, and not turning the ball over and making free throws down the stretch. You do those things, you give yourself a chance to win."

The Pistons have won 27 road games in each of Saunders' two seasons in Detroit.

The challenge of winning will be even greater this year if Detroit follows through with playing more young players.

"It's going to be tough for the young guys who ain't used to playing," Pistons forward Antonio McDyess said. "Guys coming off the bench ... guys just have to be ready."

The same goes for the veterans who will finally start to play their regular minutes after seeing limited action during the preseason.

"In the preseason, they knew they were playing anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes," Saunders said. "Now they know they'll be playing in the 30s."

But if they struggle early, Saunders will look to the bench quicker than he has in the past.

"They know that now if they don't do it, there's an opportunity that someone else might be in their spot, and play more," Saunders said.